Category: Story

[USA-MEXICO] For key stats on Wednesday’s Hexagonal opener …

[TELEVISION] The USA-Mexico game in Columbus isn’t the only game on television on Wednesday. You could spend 16 straight hours watching all kinds of soccer action — qualifiers from Asia, a repeat of the 2005 USA-Mexico game in Columbus, the France-Argentina friendly and the opening game of American Michael Orozco‘s San Luis in the Libertadores Cup.

[BRAZIL-ITALY] Reports of Brazil’s demise are premature. The five-time World Cup champions got a much-needed confidence builder as they beat Italy, 2-0, in Tuesday in an international friendly at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. The star of the show was Robinho with a brilliant individual goal and an assist on Manchester City teammate Elano‘s goal, both in the first half.

[USA-MEXICO] Where the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign effectively ended, the serious push for 2010 begins. And since then, much has changed. The Hexagonal campaign for the U.S. and Mexico commences Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 & Univision) at Columbus Crew Stadium, with both teams expected, once again, to top the six-team group, and both beset by growing pains.

[MLS] At least one MLS coach believes allocations should be used to bring U.S. players back to Major League Soccer, and a rival team has done just that. San Jose has used its slot atop the allocation rankings to sign midfielder Bobby Convey, whose contract with English club Reading was terminated last week. Terms of the deal and his salary details have not been announced. He is scheduled to report to the team in the next two weeks, after the Quakes play two preseason games in California.

[MLS] As he prepares Seattle for its first MLS season with a training camp in Southern California, Coach Sigi Schmid is looking for help in the back. He turned to a familiar source.

[REF WATCH] When soccer’s rule-making body meets later this month, it will consider penalty-box time for yellow-card offenses, a fourth sub during overtime, and extended halftimes (because it can take so long to walk to the locker room!).

[USA-MEXICO] For a sampling of Mexican headlines, which include a (not so) startling revelation by the Mexican national team psychologist, on the clash in Columbus …

[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] El Salvador opens the Hexagonal Wednesday against Trinidad & Tobago as the longshot to claim one of the three automatic berths to the World Cup 2010 finals. The Cuscatlecos are coming off a disastrous Digicel Uncaf Cup during which they won only one of five games and were accused of laying down against Costa Rica in the semifinals.

[USA-MEXICO VIEWING] Have you made your plans to watch Wednesday’s USA-Mexico game (TV: ESPN2, Univision, live 7 pm ET)? Here are soccer viewing establishments across the country where you should be able to watch the game with fellow U.S. supporters.

[MLS] Maybe the United fandom had it exactly right last year when it questioned why the team swept out a solid MLS attacker like Christian Gomez to make room for a pricey DP in Marcelo Gallardo.

[USL-1] The Carolina RailHawks, who have failed to make the USL-1 playoffs in their first two seasons, showed they are ready to make a serious challenge by signing former Uruguayan national team midfielder Marcelo Romero and two-time USL-2 Defender of the Year Mark Schulte.

[MLS] Players on loan take some convoluted journeys, and following just such a path is Argentine forward Pablo Vitti.

[USA-MEXICO COUNTDOWN] With the possibility of rain on Wednesday, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley says that it will be important to set the tone early and expects the game will start out at a very fast tempo. For more on what Bradley had to say about Wednesday’s USA-Mexico and his players …

[USA-MEXICO COUNTDOWN] For all the major matches played by Frankie Hejduk against Mexico during more than a decade of service to the U.S. national team, he still regrets missing the big one played in his backyard. “I was on the bench, freezing my butt off,” he recalls of the 2001 Hexagonal opener played in Columbus won by the USA, 2-0. “It’s a lot better to be playing in those games than watching them, so hopefully I’ll be out there playing.”

[TELEVISION] Following his dismissal from the Galaxy last summer, Alexi Lalas eased his way back into television by appearing on the MLS Cup 2008 and 2009 SuperDraft telecasts. There’s lots more to come.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] With the scored tied 1-1 against Borussa Dortmund last weekend, Bayern Munich coach Juergen Klinsmann subbed in Landon Donovan for striker Luca Toni. Toni fumed, refused to shake hands with fellow forward Miroslav Klose as he walked off the field, and stormed straight to the locker room.